Abstract
The aims of this study were to develop a computerized program for objectively evaluating skeletal maturation on cephalometric radiographs, and to apply the new method to Brazilian subjects. The samples were taken from the patient files of Oral Radiological Clinics from the North, Northeast, Midwest and South regions of the country. A total of 717 subjects aged 7.0 to 15.9 years who had lateral cephalometric radiographs and hand-wrist radiographs were selected. A cervical vertebral computerized analysis was created in the Radiocef Studio 2 computer software for digital cephalometric analysis, and cervical vertebral bone age was calculated using the formulas developed by Caldas et al.17 (2007). Hand-wrist bone age was evaluated by the TW3 method. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test were used to compare cervical vertebral bone age, hand-wrist bone age and chronological age (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found between cervical vertebral bone age and chronological age in all regions studied. When analyzing bone age, it was possible to observe a statistically significant difference between cervical vertebral bone age and hand-wrist bone age for female and male subjects in the North and Northeast regions, as well as for male subjects in the Midwest region. No significant difference was observed between bone age and chronological age in all regions except for male subjects in the North and female subjects in the Northeast. Using cervical vertebral bone age, it might be possible to evaluate skeletal maturation in an objective manner using cephalometric radiographs.
Highlights
Timing is a fundamental part of treatment planning in orthodontics
Girls 41 243 41 56 only from the state of São Paulo, which is located in the Southeast region of the country. Based on these formulas, the purpose of this study was to develop a computerized program for objectively evaluating skeletal maturation on cephalometric radiographs and to apply the new method to Brazilian subjects from the North, Northeast, Midwest and South regions of the country
Patients were included if they fulfilled the following criteria: (1) Subjects had a Brazilian ethnic origin, regardless of ethnic-racial classification, (2) the radiographs presented high quality and allowed good visualization of anatomical structures, the third and fourth cervical vertebral bodies, (3) all lateral cephalometric radiographs and hand-wrist radiographs were taken at the same time
Summary
Timing is a fundamental part of treatment planning in orthodontics. Starting treatment in a growing patient at the right time has demonstrated significant favorable effects in the correction of disharmonies in the sagittal, transverse, and vertical planes.[1,2]Orthodontic movement, represented by the displacement of a tooth, can be performed regardless of age, as long as the mechanotherapy respects the biology of the periodontium. Timing is a fundamental part of treatment planning in orthodontics. Starting treatment in a growing patient at the right time has demonstrated significant favorable effects in the correction of disharmonies in the sagittal, transverse, and vertical planes.[1,2]. Orthodontic movement, represented by the displacement of a tooth, can be performed regardless of age, as long as the mechanotherapy respects the biology of the periodontium. The repositioning of the apical bases for the correction of skeletal discrepancies with orthopedic appliances requires the support of facial growth. A treatment with orthopedic objectives is best performed while the forces of the physiological growth are active.[3] The prepubertal growth period is the best time
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